Solving Kepler's Problem: Understanding Awkward Integration

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on solving Kepler's Problem through integration techniques. The user encounters difficulty with the integration of the equation involving gravitational potential energy, specifically substituting U=-α/r. The resulting equation after integration is φ=cos⁻¹((M/r)-(mα/M))/(√(2mE+(m²α²/M²))) + constant. A suggested method to simplify the integration is to use the substitution w=1/r and complete the square in the radical.

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  • Understanding of Kepler's laws of planetary motion
  • Familiarity with integral calculus and substitution methods
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Piano man
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Hi,
I'm reading up on Kepler's problem at the moment, and there's a step in the book that I don't understand.

Starting off with the equation of the path \phi=\int\frac{M dr/r^2}{\sqrt{2m[E-U(r)]-M^2/r^2}}+\mbox{constant}

The step involves subbing in U=-\alpha/r, 'and effecting elementary integration' to get
\phi=\cos^{-1}\frac{(M/r)-(m\alpha/M)}{\sqrt{(2mE+\frac{m^2\alpha^2}{M^2}})}+\mbox{constant}

But it doesn't look very elementary to me:confused:

Does anyone have any idea?

Thanks.
 
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Try the substitution w=1/r and then complete the square in the radical.
 

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